Cibola
Cibola is the second book in the Dane Maddock Adventures series. It was published in 2009. Synopsis 1539- In a remote Spanish outpost, one man holds the secret to the greatest treasure and deadliest secret in human history. Utah, Present Day Cave paintings in a newly-discovered Indian site provide evidence that Christ visited the New World. Or do they? Dane Maddock returns in another unforgettable adventure! When Dane rescues beautiful archaeologist Jade Ihara , he joins her on asearch for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. Cibola takes the reader on a journey across the American southwest, where the ruins of the mysterious Anasazi hide deadly secrets, and foes lurk around every corner. Dane and his partner "Bones" Bonebrake must decipher clues from the fabled Copper Scroll, outwit their enemies, and be the first to unlock the secret of Cibola. Plot Summary (Spoilers) Dane Maddock rescues archaeologist, Jade Ihara, who has found a Spanish breastplate that appears to hold clues to the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola left by Fray Marcos de Niza. The clues lead them to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, where they barely manage to elude a group of armed men who are also searching for Cibola. They find a box containing an oddly-shaped piece of stone with carving on one side. Unbeknownst to them, Saul sneaks away to Ship Rock and recovers a clue, which he keeps secret, telling them that the Dominion recovered the piece before he arrived. The clues then lead them Yucca House, where they find another piece of what they believe to be a scarab. Meanwhile, Bones is in Utah, taking part in a dig sponsored by his cousin, Isaiah Horsely, where they uncover what they believe to be evidence that Jesus visited the New World. Isaiah is attacked and the his dig taken over. Orley, the rancher who owns the property where the dig site is located points Bones to a hidden cave with more pictographs that deepen the mystery. Bones is attacked and barely escapes, but not before discovering a gold disc engraved with strange writing. With the help of reporter Amanda Shores, Bones learns that they are up against a group called the Deseret Dominion, a paramilitary organization tied to an extremist sect of Mormonism and, after talking with Dane, learns that the engraving on the gold disc resembles the engraving on the pieces of the scarab that Dane has found. After rescuing Orley from the Dominion, he and Amanda meet up with Dane, Jade, and Saul. The clues lead them to Mesa Verde and then Hovenweep, where they recover two more pieces of the scarab, giving them five of six, and continue to elude the Dominion. By the time Amanda matches the breastplate to a centuries-old map of the region, they suspect someone in their group is passing information to the Dominion. Worried that Saul is the Dominion spy and fearing that time is short, Jade convinces Dane to sneak away in the middle of the night, headed for their final destination- Zion National Park. On the way, Jade reveals that Dane's hacker friend, Jimmy Letson, has deciphered the writing on both the gold disc and the portions of the scarab that are in their possession. The disc tells an incredible story, including the fact that Moses and the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten are the same person, and that the writing on the scarab is comprised of phrases from the Copper Scroll. When they reach the vicinity of Zion and begin hiking toward their destination, Dane suddenly loses consciousness. Bones discovers that Dane and Jade are missing. Saul shows him Jimmy's email and tells him that Jade has been working for the Dominion. Shortly thereafter, Saul is killed when the Dominion attacks, and Bones and Amanda head for Zion. Atop Angel's Landing in Zion, Jade leads a group of Dominion into a series of secret passages beneath the mountain, following the clues from the scarab. They discover that neither Jade nor the Dominion has the sixth piece, and Jade realizes Saul must have recovered it. Having no choice but to go on, they continue their search. Without complete directions, they end up separated and lost, with some members of their group killed by booby traps. Dane is rescued by an unusual boy named Justin, who has an odd collectin of Egyptian artifacts and other bits of treasure. Justin leads Dane to the pool where he found the artifacts, and Dane discovers an underwater passage that leads into the caverns beneath Angel's Landing. Bones and Amanda arrive at Zion and and go into the tunnels, looking for Dane. Shortly thereafter, the leader of the Deseret Dominion, known only as The Elder, arrives with armed support, and also enters the passageways. The Elder's squad is attacked by unidentified creatures, and many are killed. Dane also encounters these beasts, and finds himself in their den, where he fights his way free. Bones and Amanda catch up with Jade and Jarren, the only remaning member of her party. Jarren attacks Bones, and Dane arrives on the scene in time to save him. Jade tells them that the Dominion has been controlling her, but she has done her best to work as a double-agent. She insists that she did not leave Maddock in the desert to die, but drugged him and left him in a safe place so the Dominion would not kill him. Uncertain what to believe, Dane allows her to come with them. Far below Angel's Landing, they discover the treasures of the Temple in Jerusalem. Beyond the treasure room, they find a pyramid-shaped chamber, the final resting place of Moses/Akhenaten and Nefertiti. A platform hangs suspended high above the sarcophogi, and here, the underground river is leaking into the chamber and pours down over the platform. The surviving members of the Dominion, the Elder and a vicious man named Issachar, catch up with them. Dane uses Moses' staff to fight off Issachar, but the Elder, whom Jade recognizes as Saul's father, Jude Zollinger, is armed and takes control of the situation. When the Elder lowers the platform, they discover that it holds the Ark of the Covenant. Taking advantage of the distraction, they injure the Elder and escape with Moses' staff. Meanwhile, the lowering of the platform has caused the pyramid capstone to shatter, and the river pours in, causing the chambers to collapse. Making their escape, they encounter more of the creatures. Piecing together observations they have made along the way, the conclude that that the plates on which the Ten Commandments were written were dangerously radioactive, which poisoned the underground river which, in turn, turned native fauna into the twisted creatures that gave rise to the legend of the Chupacabra. Dane uses Moses' staff to fight off the creatures and make their way out of the collapsing chambers, but before they can escape, Issachar reappears. Dane fights him off again, but loses the staff in the process. They escape with their lives, all the members of the Dominion dead. The story ends with Justin finding the staff in his favorite pool and carrying it away, thinking it a fine walking stick.